Virat Kohli delivered a batting clinic at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a hard-fought 4-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings. It was a tense atmosphere, but RCB's composure earned them their first win of the tournament, stopping PBKS from securing two wins in a row. Kohli dominated the 177-run chase from the start, scoring a vital 77 off 49 balls to keep his team in the driver's seat. The excitement peaked in the final over, where Dinesh Karthik's rapid-fire 28 runs from 10 balls officially pushed RCB across the finish line.
Indian star batter Virat Kohli’s masterclass knock helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 4 wickets in a highly intense match at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB batters held their nerves to secure the first win of the tournament in an exciting encounter while PBKS failed to register consecutive wins. Kohli single-handedly led RCB’s chase of 177 right from the start. The right-handed batter’s superb knock of 49-ball 77 kept RCB in the hunt till the end. It was a treat for the home crowd as Dinesh Karthik’s brilliant cameo of 10-ball 28 took RCB over the line in the final over.
After being asked to bat first, PBKS got off to a rocky start when Jonny Bairstow (8) was caught at mid-wicket by Kohli. The team found some rhythm through Shikhar Dhawan and Prabhsimran Singh, who put on 55 runs together. To break the momentum, RCB captain Faf du Plessis introduced Glenn Maxwell, who successfully dismissed Singh for 25. The pressure continued as Alzarri Joseph lured Liam Livingstone (17) into a mistake with a precise delivery outside off-stump.
Shikhar Dhawan played a graceful innings, finishing on 45 and falling just short of a fifty. While Sam Curran and Jitesh Sharma contributed 23 and 27 runs respectively, PBKS looked like they might struggle to post a competitive score. However, a late burst from Shashank Singh—who hammered 21 runs off just 8 balls—propelled the visitors to 176/6 by the end of their 20 overs. For RCB, Mohammed Siraj and Glenn Maxwell were the standout bowlers, taking two wickets each.
RCB started their pursuit aggressively, with Kohli taking Sam Curran apart for four boundaries in the opening over. However, PBKS fought back quickly as Kagiso Rabada struck twice in consecutive overs, removing both Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green for 3 runs each. Despite the wickets, Kohli remained unfazed, continuing to score at a rapid pace.
The momentum shifted again when Harpreet Brar dealt RCB a double blow, bowling out Rajat Patidar (18) and Glenn Maxwell (3) in back-to-back overs. For a while, it seemed Kohli would carry the team to victory single-handedly, but Harshal Patel turned the tide in the 16th over by taking the crucial wicket of Kohli. Just when PBKS thought they had the upper hand, an unbeaten 48-run stand between Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror quickly secured the win for RCB.